Overview

• In a July 2025 podcast appearance, Melinda French Gates revealed that doubts stemming from out-of-marriage breaches led her to decide to end her 27-year marriage to Bill Gates.
• She described pushing away an “inner voice” for years under the weight of family obligations and their shared work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
• Melinda cited reports of Bill Gates’s alleged affair and his meetings with Jeffrey Epstein as key factors eroding trust in their relationship.
• The former couple continues to co-lead major global health and gender equality programs through their foundation despite their personal split.
• After departing the foundation in 2024, Melinda has focused on her Pivotal Ventures initiative and women’s empowerment advocacy while co-parenting their three adult children.